What type of whale was Moby Dick?

"Moby Dick" is the allegorical novel by Herman Melville. It tells the story of Captain Ahab, who was searching for a large white whale to kill it. The novel is based on a real story and things the author found out working as a whaler himself.

It was hardly to be doubted, that several vessels reported to have encountered, at such or such a time, or on such or such a meridian, a Sperm Whale of uncommon magnitude and malignity, which whale, after doing great mischief to his assailants, had completely escaped them; to some minds it was not an unfair presumption, I say, that the whale in question must have been no other than Moby Dick.

An excerpt from "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville

Are you familiar with this literary masterpiece? What do you think of it? Tell us in the comments below!

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17 Comments

Howard Groopman

Had to guess. Knew only that it was white.

Louise C.

I have that book in my library, and I still get it out to read from time to time.

Richard D. Boyle

Yes, many decades after its unremarkable publication, it was finally “discovered” and eventually became a literary classic. When I was younger, my attempts to check it off my bucket list never got me out of New Bedford. Last year I challenged myself to complete the reading...which I did. I grew to appreciate Starbuck, Queequeg, Ahab, Ishmael et al. I even visited New Bedford and spent time in the Seaman’s Bethel where Father Mapple held forth prior to the voyage. Parts of the book were beautifully eloquent. However, my impression was that Melville intended to relate EVERYTHING he had learned about the detailed and intricate job descriptions and duties of every crew member on board plus to give the reader a tutorial on the precise workings of a 19th Century Whaler, in this case the Pequod. I could not help thinking “TMI” or, as Salieri is quoted as saying to Mozart “Too many notes!” I guess I learned more about whaling than I ever had any interest in knowing. I wanted more about Ahab and didn’t get it. Maybe that’s just me.

hodoushere

Great literature...should read it at least once per year.

Marian Spitzig

A classic among classics!

Rob Farr

A great story ... thanks.

mkrash

That he was

Linda Johnson

I guessed it because I think the name sperm whale is funny lol

Jessie Paradis

Well I knew it was not the other whales,so it had to be a Sperm Whale.

Joseph Kevin Tabugay

Amazing.

Stephanie Hermiston

Not a great piece of literature - just men killing unarmed and indefensible animals as they beat their chests and proclaim they are the king of the earth...yawn.....